So I checked in here yesterday and with that check in came a lifelong hook to a memory. I went in specifically to purchase the first artificial flower arrangements to place on my Mama's and Daddy's grave. I lost both my parents last year - Daddy in January, Mama in December. The headstone/marker got put in place a couple of weeks ago. I have never been a visiting grave person. I don't feel like that person is there in that graveyard anymore. Mama, however was an avid grave visitor, cleaner, flower putter, ant poisoner, grass cutter and she took me on many of those trips to stones on the ground over the years. She would be disappointed with me if I didn't get some flowers for their marker. On another note, while in Michaels, I watched my 19 year old daughter's eyes light up at all the fancy art supplies, paintbrushes, chalks, paints, charcoals and thought to myself.. sweet child some things DO still glitter like gold in your eyes. Enjoy this, I thought, when you get older like me things won't impress you so easily. You'll be coming into places like this for specific things, not just to browse. I watched her glide down the isles smiling happy with the occasional "Hey,Mama, look at this!!!" "I didn't even know they made this stuff!!!" I thought to myself if your Paw Paw and Mimi were here BOTH of them would be getting their money out for you. I found two beautiful bouquets and was a little shocked at the $49.99 price tag but figured my parents were worth it. After I picked out a few more single sprigs to stick in the bouquets, I was going to have to go negative in my checkbook and utilize my overdraft privilege to make this purchase. I was happily surprised when I got to the register and the flowers rang up as $29.99 instead of the marked $49.99 and the individual sprigs rang up less too, another smaller red white and blue bouquet that I had picked up to use on a veteran's grave that one of the employees told me was $15 rang up as $7.49. So, yes, I checked in here. I checked in because in the future I will look back on this day and remember the first time I bought flowers for a grave and remember a day I spent with my daughter. What happened before we checked in here and what happened after will probably become a blur. read more
